Summer Prep: Classroom Vignettes and Special Sentiments

Dusting off and rearranging teacher appreciation gifts from former students and their families, wonderful memories wash over me as I continue to prep my classroom for August.  Figurines, stuffed animals, ornaments, shadow boxes and of course, mugs, serve as affirmations that keep me going on tough days.  The sweetness and thoughtfulness of each keepsake help me remember the stories, silliness, obstacles, puzzles, joys and successes of my students and the growth I've experienced in this profession.  They're displayed above closet cabinetry near my desk:

One of my Super Stars created a wreath for me this past year out of fluffy white yarn and patriotic red, silver and blue gem stars.  A month before school let out, I used bonus points to order a Pete-the-Cat stuffed animal, and the two were accidentally set together during our end of the year celebration.

Turns out they were the perfect match for one another:

Whether your room is spacious or small, consider creating a vignette of special items that help to tell your story, and collect and display favorite characters that will help your students tell theirs as they explore and engage with the adventures that wonderful kindergarten literature provides.

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Not only do I save knick-knack treasures that I receive from my students and their families, I cannot bring myself to throw away their cards, notes and drawings.  Moving from Alaska to New Mexico, New Mexico to Kansas, Kansas to Texas and finally back to Kansas, these precious papers have experienced quite the shuffle, falling from between the pages of an empty scrapbook I never seem to have time for and out of the storage drawer and boxes to which they've unexpectedly migrated.  With classroom chores taken care of, I'm hoping to set aside a few hours this summer to either get caught up on the scrapbook or decorate a binder cover or art journal that I can keep on hand for this special collection.  I found some inspiration at:

~ Work in Progress Kits: a teacher appreciation book filled with all sorts of decorative elements

~ Tonya's Treats for Teachers on TPT: a "Teacher Love Notes" binder cover (FREE download)  

~ Aimee Salazar on TPT: Teacher Love Notes Binder Covers (another free download) with a cupcake theme on TPT

~ Home Style Cover on Etsy: wooden "treasure chest" card box, a beautiful (and sturdy) upgrade from the old shoebox many of us have recycled

Some of the cards I received in May are still hanging on a board near my kitchen, but they'll make the move to their new home once back-to-school activities are in full swing.

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Happy July 4!

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Don't forget to vote for my blog over at Circle of Moms (click on the badge) daily until July 9.  I appreciate your visits, and love to share what I know and do with other early childhood professionals, teachers and families!  Thanks for scrolling down the list, finding my smiling face, and returning the love by clicking on the heart:

~Michaele~

Summer Prep: Bulletin Boards

I'm fortunate to work in a district that allows teachers access to their classrooms over the summer.  When repairs are complete, upgrades installed and the room is clean, teachers can tackle organization projects that are too big to start during the school year. 

After emptying cabinetry, resorting math and center manipulatives and deciding where the book tubs for our library center will go, the blank walls were too much for me to take.  Changing things up this year, my traditional blue has been replaced by black butcher paper and accents, though I've been careful: I don't want the Stars to worry that they're walking into a black hole!  

This wall is ready for one of our first art projects:

The calendar and other graphic organizers are finding their homes in the room's far corner:

The word wall has been expanded, and though they're not a necessity, twinkle lights add some oomph:

Let me turn off the lights to show you:

See?

Twinkle lights.

Good stuff.

Even better when the blinds are closed.  

Tubs and boxes on the desks are other jobs on this summer's to-do list.  Folder games.  New labels for tubs.  Laminating.

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Check back tomorrow for a patriotic Pete the Cat display!

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Don't forget to vote for my blog over at Circle of Moms (click on the badge) daily until July 9.  I appreciate your visits, and love to share what I know and do with other early childhood professionals, teachers and families!  Thanks for scrolling down the list, finding my smiling face, and returning the love by clicking on the heart:

~Michaele~

Common Core Curriculum Maps, Zoo Phonics, and Pinterest, Oh My!

I've been "off work" for the summer since the end of May.

This means I've been...

1)  ... in my classroom six times, moving furniture,  re-papering bulletin boards, and planning changes.  Oh, and killing ants.

2)  ... attending professional development regarding K-12 science education.

3)  ... catching up on my education-blog reading.

4)  ... familiarizing myself with this book:

A quick-scan of units 1-6 in May had me a bit perplexed.  While I appreciate thematic units with art, music, and science integrated, I couldn't find phonics-specific information, and wondered why suggested stories/literature weren't more current.  Part of me is a traditionalist, so Mother Goose and her nursery rhymes have always been included in my class library, but there is a wealth of newer poetry, artwork, literature and music for children available too that teachers shouldn't ignore (I've got your back, Pete the Cat).  New-to-service or new-to-district teachers who follow these ELA maps will need to ask their grade level partners if they'll follow a letter-per-week model,  c-v-c unit instruction, or complete immersion.  Traveling around thanks to Uncle Sam (Dear Husband has retired from the Army), I'm flexible with change because I've had to be: despite state standards, NCLB, Race to the Top and the Common Core, no two districts have been cookie cutter in their implementation of curriculum.  My suggestion to new teachers?  As you swim through materials or create your own bank of resources from scratch, ask questions.  Lots of them.

With all of the relocations, I have had a trusted stand-by, thanks to a former colleague in Alaska.  I've used Zoo Phonics (since the 1990's) in the four different school districts which I've taught, because it's a program that works well to not only teach letter sounds but to help differentiate for the needs of my students.  Many children enter kindergarten with letter name and sound knowledge, so slogging through twenty-six weeks' worth of the alphabet can be boring and redundant.  For those kiddos with little to no print awareness and/or low phonemic skills, Zoo Phonics is an engaging introduction to letter names and sounds that includes a body motion to help facilitate whole brain/body learning.  Students at all levels of phonemic awareness enjoy the fun factor, and are able to employ the elements of animal identification, story, sound and motion in the first two weeks of school and as they develop their reading and writing proficiency throughout the year.  Watching strong readers and their early-emergent classmates interact, share, and choose to partner with one another when writing, exploring word work activities or enjoying books in the class library using their shared Zoo Phonics references is a strong affirmation for me as a teacher as I work to create an inclusive environment where students learn not only from me but from one another. 

By the way, Zoo Phonics didn't ask me to promote or praise their program, no sir-ee Bob.  I've just seen it work in Alaska, New Mexico and Kansas, with general education kids, English language learners, students with special needs, and especially those who are articulation-challenged.  Watching a student who can't produce r, l, w, y, t, or s sounds verbally *still* be able to write words, thoughts and sentences by indicating a body motion or finding the necessary animal on a Zoo Phonics chart is a powerful thing to witness. Barring a hearing loss or auditory processing problem, students can hear and discriminate between sounds even if they can't produce them. 

5)  ... creating Pinterest boards for units 1-6 from Common Core Curriculum Maps.

If you'd like to take a peek at the boards (or follow them), you can find them here:

Unit I: A Colorful Time with Rhythm and Rhyme

Unit 2: Tell a Story, 1, 2, 3

Unit 3: Exploring with Friends in the Neighborhood

Unit 4: America: Symbols and Celebrations

Unit 5: The Great Big World

Unit 6: Wonders of Nature: Plants, Bugs and Frogs

I'll continue to add to them this summer.  

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Thankfully, my summer hasn't been all work and no play: today I'm going to go out to lunch with a friend!  On a Thursday!  

The little things really are the big things with teachers, aren't they?

I hope your summer has gotten off to a wonderful start!  What are your plans?

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Don't forget to vote for my blog over at Circle of Moms (click on the badge) daily until July 9.  I appreciate your visits, and love to share what I know and do with other early childhood professionals, teachers and families!  Thanks for scrolling down the list, finding my smiling face, and returning the love by clicking on the heart:

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See you back here tomorrow when I ask your opinion about artwork suggested in Common Core Curriculum Maps.